The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-09

him as he sees fit. a poor, ignorant man
would have TO suffer in silence. Many do, and
1t is not at all surprising that they come back
TO the world from their prisons embittered
with society and the laws that sustain it,
A great deal of option is given to the Po-
lice Justice in Judging Of the guilt or inno-
cence of a prisoner. The result is that many
guilty ones escape and many innocent per
sons languish for a long time in prison 1t
Is not so mucnethe fault of the law as of the
persons who have been selected to admins
ter it. Perhaps when the terms of some of
those who are now in expire better men will
be put in their places. 1t is doubtful,
| though, for political influence rules the
nominations as much now as before.
Justice Andrew White is probably the
most influential of the Police Justices His
wealth and his position as a leader of the
County Democracy make him SO. He spent,
according to political rumor, small for
tune in the attempt to become Sheriff. He
Is partner with his brother in the contract
which makes odorouS Barren Island a rest
ing place for decaylng carcasseS of horses,
dogs, cats, and so forth. 1t is worth $780,
600 year to him alone. In appearance
he is the ideal English butler He looks
upon the public with supercilious contempt,
and is even more dictatorial than his fellows.
lie Is always late, from half to an hour or
two, and frequently three hours His
friends and boon companions are politicians,
and in their opinion candy White is good
fellow. He is very circumspect in his man
ner of granting them favors, but he does it
as much as any of the Justices He holds
more star chamber examinations than any
Justice on the bench. From these all but
the parties chiefly concerned are excluded.
remember a case of that kind where the
complainant was large wall paper manu-
facturer, who charged a woman with an
Nla
thing but good His wife had secured a di-
vorce from him, and the prisoner had been
arrested on charge of conspiring with his
wife against him. The prisoner said that
she and his divorced wife had followed him
and watched him go into a house with a
young woman. He had threatened her
with his cane when he came out. The man
was very wealthy and the woman was poor.
His word, i'll spite of his known character,
was believed, and hers was not She was
ordered to promise to keep away from him,
but refused. She was locked up for disor-
derby conduct. Every possible precaution
was taken by the Justice and his clerks to
| prevent the facts from leaking out, but they
were made public nevertheless.
His conduct during the recent raids on
saloons that kept open on Sunday was
parody upon justice. After locking up the
offenders who were brought before him on
Sunday morning he would leave the court
| room and walk through the side door of
| saloon only few doors away. There, i'll a
| private room, behind drawn curtains, he
would sit with some of his cromeS drinking
| champagne. Nor was this an infrequent oc-
currence. To my own knowledge it oc-
Cured four times.
| When Larry O'Brien, the politician and
sport, recovered from the effects of the stab
bing by Gambler Truman, both were taken
| before Justice White in the Harlem Court.
| The programme had been arranged before
! hand. Each refused to make complaint.
| Whites duty was to order the policeman
| who made the arrest to swear to the facts
| either of his knowledge or belief. Instead
| he discharged O'Brien and held Truman in
| 800 bail for having dirk knife in his pos
session, a slight offense for which he was
| finally fined paltry sum.
| could go on forever if space and time
would allow and show hundreds of ways in
which those appointed to enforce the laws
| evade and outrage them. | could describe
Justices Patterson, who is reputed to nurse
| his enmities forever and who has frequently
| been called to account by the newspapers;
| Welde, well-meaning but not always cor
| rect man, and Power, a slowgoing but
shrewder man than the others with whole
some dislike for the police.
Some time ago an attempt was made to
| have law passed by the Legislature max
ing it imperative for Police Justices to be
lawyers. 1t was a step in the right direc-
ton Its failure shows the influence of the
CHARLES j. RosEBAULT.